Alternativity
by Fionacat
Summary: Ash is sure something is wrong, so is his very first pokemon a Bulbasaur called Bryson.


Alternativity  
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This document is Copyright (C) 2001 Runt (webmaster@microharf.cx) [http://www.microharf.cx]  
  
No profit on the part of the author is made from this document, and this document is used  
only for entertainment purposes. If there is any legal problems with this document,  
please contact the author to make arrangements to amend these legal difficulties.  
  
Ash, Misty, Pikachu, Jessie, James, Meowth, Gary and all other related Pokémon   
characters or items are (C) and TM to Nintendo and Game Freaks.  
  
This work may be freely distributed in any media as long as no money is charged for the   
document itself. It may be included on any archive collection under the same terms.  
  
The most recent version of this work as well as many other stories from this and other generes  
can be found archived at Fanfiction.net (www.fanfiction.net)   
Please help support fanfiction on the internet and visit this site.  
================================================================================================  
The strained familer music of a Pokemon battle filled the room before suddenly being  
shattered by a screaming announcer, "And Gengar begins with a hypnosis attack but it doesn't  
appear to have affected Nidorino!" The grainy television displayed the progress of the battle  
between the two creatures battling in some sort of stadium.  
"Ah there it is!!" The annoncer cried pre-emptivly, "Nidorino uses a horn attack and sends  
Gengar flying!! This could be the end of Gengar!!"  
Suddenly into the grainy television a tall man with flowing black hair stepped and meancingly  
looked at the Nidorino before holding up a red and white ball about the size of an orange it  
was a Poke ball.  
A stream of red light hit the Gengar from the poke ball and instantly the Gengar vanished in  
a bright flash of light.  
"Wait!! David has recalled his Gengar, now he can send out another pokemon to battle against  
Nidorino!"  
David looked out onto the pokemon stadium, he hurled the poke ball backwards so the camera  
had to pan and follow him as he threw it into the ring.  
"Which pokemon will David use now?!"  
The television picture suddenly shrunk to a small white dot in the centre.  
"Mom!!" Ash Ketechum complained looking up to his mom who had just entered the room.  
"Sorry Ash, if you don't get some sleep now you will never be awake in time!" Ash's mom  
retorted.  
Ash nodded sadly and streeched, he was very tired now he thought about it.  
"Mom, I will journey to gain the wisdom of pokemon training, I hearby declare to all the   
pokemon of the world that I will be the greatest pokemon master of all time!"  
"That's very nice honey, but it's eleven o'clock now!" Ash's mom said pointing to the clock.  
"Oh my gosh!" Ash exclaimed leaping into bed, "I have to stay calm for tommorrow, I'm going to  
choose a... Well I don't know..."  
Ash's mom smiled and tucked him in carefully, "Pleasant dreams." She whispered.  
Sneaking quietly across the floor Ash's mom turned off the light and closed the door.  
  
"DUUUUUU" The first head of Dutrio a noisy bird pokemon cried.  
"TRIIIII" The second head added to the unholy melody.  
"OOOOOOO" The third head screeched loudly.  
"ASH!" Ash's mom called into the room.  
"Oh no!" Ash cried, "I'm late!!" He said leaping out of bed.  
"No honey, you are just in time. Get dressed and head to Professor Oak's." His mom stated  
calmly pointing to the clock.  
Ash smiled and quickly got changed before sprinting off to Professor Oak's laboratory.  
As Ash approached the gates of Professor Oak's labratory he found that the gates had just been  
opened by an older man wearing a lab coat. Ash hadn't actually met Professor Oak, just seen  
him on the television, he looked a lot smaller in reality.  
"Um Professor Oak?" Ash asked cautiously.  
"Yes? Ahhh, You must be..." Professor Oak said prompting Ash to reply.  
"Ash, Ash Ketchum." Ash replied.  
"Ash!" Professor Oak happily echoed, "Why I haven't seen you since you were knee high to a  
Diglett."  
Ash blushed bright red and shook his head slightly, "I've grown up since then Professor."  
Professor Oak nodded, "You are the first today, I would have thought my no good Grandson Gary  
would have turned up first but no..."  
"Gary?!" Ash exlaimed having a sudden flash back to last summer at school when Gary had  
teased and bullied Ash.  
"Yes..." Professor Oak nodded sadly, "Apparently genetics works better with Pokemon."  
Ash looked puzzled but Professor Oak just smirked and showed Ash inside.  
  
"So Ash, have you made your choice?" Professor Oak asked indicating the three pokeballs  
that lay before him; one has a small leaf smybol printed on it, one had a small flame on  
it and the final one had a water drop on it.  
Carefully Ash looked over the three pokeballs, carefully deciding which pokemon would be  
best, he knew that the water one would be a squirtle, that the leaf one would be a  
bulbasaur and the fire pokemon would be a charmander which Ash didn't really want to  
choose as he had heard they are very hard to train.  
Closing his eyes Ash reached out towards the other two pokeballs letting fate guide his hand.  
  
"An excellent choice!" Professor Oak said, "Unfortunatly the control panel will not be able  
to help you on your pokemon journey..." Professor Oak concluded.  
Ash opened his eyes and found that he had grabbed the control panel for the pokemon console.  
"Oh..." Ash quietly murmered before picking up the closest pokeball.  
Bringing it close he saw a leaf smybol on the side.  
"Actually it's a good thing you choose that one..." Professor Oak said quietly opening  
the other two pokeballs only to show they were empty.  
"You and Gary appear to be the only pokemon trainers that will journey from Pallet this year..."  
Professor Oak sighed sadly, "So it means I don't actually have any starting pokemon."  
Suddenly a figure dressed in a blue jumper with a medalian rushed in.  
"Gramps!" The figure shouted.  
"Gary..." Professor Oak sighed.  
"I'm not too late am I?" Gary asked.  
Professor Oak smiled brightly, "In fact you are, Ash here just recieved my last pokemon, you'll  
have to wait until next year. AGAIN!" Professor Oak added definatly.  
Gary kicked the ground angrily causing the console with pokeballs to shake violently and  
fall to the ground leaving a central column with a pokeball on it.  
"What's that one professor?" Ash asked politely.  
Gary instantly grabbed the pokeball, "It's mine twerp!" He exclaimed.  
Professor Oak interceeded by pulling the pokeball from Gary's hand.  
"My my my..." The professor said looking at the pokeball, "I'd almost forgotten that this  
was here."  
Professor Oak then pushed the button on the side of the pokeball and a small yellow mouse  
like creature appeared in a bright light.  
  
"Pikachu!" The creature exclaimed happily looking up at Professor Oak.  
"It's a Pikachu!" Gary stated looking at the creature.  
"You are quite right!" Professor Oak added sagely, "It's a very independant and brave little  
pokemon you have now Gary."  
"You mean I got to keep it?" Gary said looking down at the pikachu.  
Professor Oak nodded handing the now empty pokeball to Gary.  
Ash smiled and waved at the Pikachu, it looked back at him with a big smile there was something  
in it's eyes a look of some special quality.  
"Say Gary..." Ash started.  
"What is it twerp?" Gary retorted, "I suppose you want to swap your lame pokemon for this  
Pikachu."  
Ash sighed and shook his head, he wasn't going to let his rival win at this early stage,  
"Actually I was just going to wish you good luck."  
"Luck! Bah I don't need luck, luck is for loser trainers like yourself. Come on Pikachu!"  
Gary commanded.  
"Pika?" Pikachu said looking up at Gary from the table.  
"I said move!" Gary shouted glaring at Pikachu angrily.  
"Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed hoping off the table and following Gary out of the room.  
  
"Well thanks professor..." Ash said starting to leave.  
"Any time Ash, if you need anything please just call me!" Professor Oak said happily taking  
Ash to the front door and waving him down the drive. As he watched Ash slowly walk to the  
front gate Professor Oak shivered slightly and felt as if something had gone horribly  
wrong just now. Reguardless of that feeling he closed the door and returned to his lab.  
  
Ash arrived at the front gates to Professor Oak's lab, a small crowd including his mom has  
assembled to see him off.  
"Well folks... I'm on my way!" Ash said before hugging his mom tightly and heading off down  
the road and out of Pallet Town.  
"Good luck Ash!" One young girl shouted.  
"See you when you get to the pokemon league!" Another young girl added.  
"Don't forgot to change your socks!!" Ash's mom shouted which made Ash blush brightly.  
  
A short distance out of Pallet Town in a small field Ash took out his pokeball and pushed the  
button, there was a bright flash and a strange green pokemon with a bulb on it's back appeared.  
"Bulbasaur!" The creature exclamied happily.  
"Hi Bulbasaur, I'm Ash your trainer!" Ash said just as happily to the pokemon.  
Gently petting the pokemon on the head which the Bulbasaur seemed to like Ash started to think  
what he could call his Bulbasaur.  
"What do you think of being called... Green?" Ash asked.  
"Bulba!" Bulbsaur replied shaking it's head vigrously in an obvious NO action.  
"Hmmm." Ash murremed pondering aloud, "How about Dave?" Ash said testingly.  
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur replied.  
"Bob?" Ash tried.  
"BULBA!!" Bulbasaur almost spat back at Ash.  
"Woah, not Bob then... How about Bryson?"  
"BUL... Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur replied nodding happily.  
"Right then Bryson, let's go make us some new friends!" Ash exclaimed taking an empty pokeball  
from his belt.  
  
Things however were not going so well for Gary, Pikachu was scared and didn't really want to  
go with Gary but feared what he may do for not following orders.  
"Pikachu..." Gary said warningly to the little mouse pokemon, "Try and keep up."  
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed unhappily picking up it's step.  
  
"Bulbasaur, Tackle attack!" Ash commanded as Bulbasaur lept at a small bird like pokemon.  
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur replied happily as it impacted off the bird and returned to the ground.  
"Pokeball... GO!" Ash shouted throwing the pokeball at the bird.  
The pokeball hit the bird and it disappeared in a small red flash, the pokeball dropped onto  
the ground and shook violently for a few seconds before sitting very still.  
"We caught..." Ash exclaimed happily before realising he didn't actually know what it was  
he had caught.  
"Uh... Some neat bird thing..." Ash concluded deflated slightly.  
"I think you'll find that was a Pidgey..." A female voice said from some distance away.  
Ash turned and saw a quite cute red haired girl walking down the path towards him pushing  
a bike with a fishing rod in the other hand.  
"Thanks miss, you really know your pokemon!" Ash said slightly embarrased he hadn't identified  
the pokemon first.  
The girl smiled, "You should always know what you are catching, if you don't then try using  
your pokedex."  
"Pokewhat?" Ash asked dimly.  
"Pokedex!" The girl sighed, "New trainers, I dunno..."  
She reached into Ash's pocket despite his protests and pulled out a small red rectangle no  
thicker then a a few inches.  
"This..." She said holding the rectangle up, "Is a pokedex, you open it like so..."  
She pushed a small catch on the side and it opened revealing a screen and many buttons  
"Then point it at the pokemon..." She said pointing it at Bryson.  
"Bulbasaur, Grass type pokemon, When it was born it had a strange seed placed on it's back.  
This pokemon is owned by trainer Id Number 20496934." The red triangle spoke in a very  
computerised voice, "Ash Ketchum from the town of Pallet." It suddenly added almost as a   
footnote.  
"And that's how you use a pokedex Ash Ketchum." The girl said smiling.  
"Thank you again miss!" Ash exclaimed happily.  
"No problem kid, maybe I'll see you around." She said before continuing off down the road.  
Ash smiled happily and watched as the girl vanished into the distance, he hoped that  
somehow he would meet her again.  
  
Gary sighed as Pikachu looked up dimly at him, it wasn't quite sure what to do as there was  
something very wrong that Pikachu couldn't quite place.  
"So Pikachu." Gary said addressing Pikachu, "You going to manage to actually perform an  
attack this time?"  
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed sparking vigrously.  
"Okay!" Gary enthusastically said, "See if you can zap that weedle!"  
Pikachu nodded and unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity at the weedle, it was so  
powerful that part of the foilage was instantly incinerated.  
Gary blinked and didn't act for a few seconds before suddenly snapping out of it and hurling  
a pokeball at the weedle.  
The pokeball hit the weedle and it didn't even attempt to escape.  
"That was... Impressive." Gary said patting the Pikachu gently on the head.  
"Pikachu..." Pikachu almost purred looking up at Gary proudly, maybe things weren't so wrong  
after all.  
  
Ash and Bryson in the mean time had been very busy and managed to catch almost twelve  
diffrent unique pokemon simply by hunting around.  
By now Ash had surpassed the six pokemon that trainers are allowed to carry with them so  
he kept Bryson and the Pidgey he had captured but also retained a butterfree, a beedrill,  
a poliwag he had managed to find by the riverside and a stray vulpix which he was quite  
surprised to see so far out of it's usual habitat.  
With his full complement of pokemon in tow Ash headed towards Pewter City and the rock gym  
there in an attempt to earn his first badge.  
  
Arriving in Pewter City scared Ash at first, it was his first time in a town other the Pallet  
and he was impressed by the number of side shops that seemed to literally spring out of the  
buildings.  
"Excuse me..." Ash quietly said to a shopkeeper on a stall which sold small rock shaped  
pokemon.  
"Yes? You see something you want? For you I give you special deal only 5 dollars." The  
shopkeeper rapidly shot back thrusting a onix shaped rock at Ash.  
Ash stumbled back in shock, "N..n...no mister I just wanted to know where the Rock gym  
was." Ash managed to stutter.  
"Ahhhh, Pokemon trainer you are!" The shopkeeper said impressed, "Very sorry, thought you  
were crazy tourist. The rock gym is just down at the end of the road kid, look for this  
big building made suprisingly enogth of rock." The shopkeeper concluded pointing Ash to  
a building far in the distance.  
"Thanks!" Ash said digging in his pockets and pulling out a crumpled note, "Now I'll give you  
this 5 dollars for..." Ash looked at the models, one stuck out above the rest.  
"That one there!" Ash said pointing at a painted rock.  
The shopkeeper smiled, "That is my last Pikachu statuette, a very good choice and for you I  
even wrap it for free!" The shopkeeper said laughing taking the crumpled note from Ash  
and reaching below where the models where displayed for some heavy duty wrapping paper.  
  
Gary and Pikachu were having some major problems, they had been sidetracked back in  
Viridian city where a band of pokemon theives had been terrorising the town.  
The local law enforcement an Officer Jenny had taken Gary in for questioning briefly as  
Gary had been heading for the pokecenter to heal his newly captured weedle.  
"Very well..." Officer Jenny said smiling at Gary, "I'm sorry that I delayed you but we  
can't be too careful. Let me take you to the pokcenter." Officer Jenny offered, "It's the  
least I can do to apologise."  
Gary nodded, "Thank you officer and it's not a problem, I will help the police at any time they  
require."  
"If only more trainers were like you..." Officer Jenny smiled as she led Gary to the pokemon  
center.  
  
Ash stood outside the large stone door of the rock gym with Bulbasaur at his side, it just   
didn't seem right to put him back in his pokeball but Ash wasn't sure why.  
"You ready Bryson?" Ash asked.  
"Bulba!" Bryson nodded.  
Ash knelt down and scratched under Bryson's chin, "Well that's great to know but I think  
I'll mostly be using Poliwag if it's all rock pokemon." Ash explained looking up at the  
rock gym.  
"Bulbasaur..." Bryson nodded understanding.  
With that Ash and Bryson walked into the Pewter city rock gym to face their first great  
challenge.  
  
"I am Brock of Pewter City!" A voice boomed from the darkness making Ash shiver slightly,   
"Who dares challenge me?!"  
Ash bravely stepped forward, "I am Ash Ketchum from the town of Pallet!" Ash declared.  
"Very well Mister Ketchum, this shall be a two pokemon fight." The voice of Brock  
announced still from an unseen location.  
Suddenly the lighting flooded the area and Ash found himself in the middle of a rocky  
outcropping facing an rather large Onix.  
Ash screamed and ran off the arena floor as fast he could.  
"Sorry about that..." A man with spikey black hair and wearing a simple top, "I'm Brock."  
Ash nodded still shaking slightly.  
"Let's battle..." Brock said smirking.  
  
"Prepare for trouble!" A girl with long red hair.  
"Make it double!" A boy with bright blue spikey hair said directly to Gary.  
"To protect the world from devastation." The girl continued.  
"To unite all people within our nation." The boy said following on.  
"To denounce the evils of truth and love." The girl stated.  
"To extend our reach to the stars above!" The boy excalimed.  
"Jessie!" The girl said finally identifying herself.  
"James!" The boy said also identifying himself.  
"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light," Jessie added.  
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!" James concluded.  
"Meowth! That's right!!" A strange cat like pokemon said suddenly appearing from  
between Jessie and James.  
"You are the pokemon thieves!" Office Jennie excalimed suddenly emerging from hiding.  
"That's correct offi.. OFFICER JENNIE??!" James said in shock.  
Gary looked at the two strangely dressed individuals with some confusion.  
"What do you three want?" Gary asked directly.  
Jessie laughed, "Why we are Team Rocket!"  
"That's supposed to mean something to me?" Gary shrugged.  
Jessie, James and Meowth all sweatdropped in embarrasment.  
"Team Rocket ensures that pokemon are as powerful as they can be!" The cat pokemon Meowth  
explained.  
"Yeah even if it means taking other people's pokemon to ensure this!" Officer Jennie  
intercepted.  
"We will give them back when we are finished..." James muttered quietly.  
"It's still wrong to take other people's pokemon." Gary complained.  
Jessie nodded, "I agree..."  
"Me too!" James added before being pushed back by Jessie.  
"However we just follow orders." Jessie sighed.  
  
"Onix!!" Brock shouted as the large rock pokemon lay on the ground roaring in pain.  
"Is it okay?" Ash shouted over.  
Brock looked up and nodded, "That Poliwag has some kick, you did well Onix."  
"Raaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr." Onix growled unhappily before disappearing into a pokeball Brock  
held up.  
"Play time's over Ash..." Brock said looking across at Ash with a great conviction in his  
eyes before taking out another pokeball and throwing it into the arena.  
There was a bright flash and a very large dragon like pokemon appeared in the arena.  
"What on earth is that?!" Ash said racing for his pokedex and pointing at the monsterous  
creature which was letting out plumes of fire.  
"Charizard, extreme fire pokemon." The pokedex replied calculating slightly, "Spits fire that is  
hot enough to melt boulders. Know to cause forest fires unintentionally." The pokedex concluded.  
Ash looked up at the large Charizard and nodded, twirling his cap around on his head he  
shouted to Poliwag.  
  
"But you didn't answer my question, what are you doing here?" Gary said more calmly.  
"We just need to buy some potions..." James said meekly.  
"And have some pokemon treated before returning them to their trainers." Jessie added.  
"Officer Jennie, do you have any pending arrests for these two?" Gary asked Officer  
Jennie politely.  
Officer Jennie looked inside her notebook and shook her head, "No, it appears they've  
been managing to keep clean for a short while."  
"Officer Jennie, I have a suggestion..." Gary stated.  
  
"Poliwag!!" Ash cried as the little tadpole pokemon collapsed to the ground after being  
roasted alive by Charizard's firey breath.  
Ash grimiced at Brock and held up Poliwag's pokeball, "Poliwag return..." He said unhappily.  
  
"What you are suggesting young man is fine by me, if you can promise that you will ensure  
you get permission from trainers." Officer Jennie noted.  
Gary nodded, "I'm sure Officer Jennie, are you three happy with the idea?" He said looking  
at Jessie, James and Meowth.  
"I think it's a fantastic idea, I never liked the idea of being a wanted criminal..." Jessie  
stated.  
"I agree!" James said loudly, "And with your pikachu we'll be able to ensure that any trainer  
does likewise..." James said quietly to Gary.  
Gary smirked and nodded.  
  
Ash was still thinking of which pokemon to use, none of them stood a chance against Charizard.  
"I can't fight you!" Ash finally declared.  
"A wise decision." Brock said recalling Charizard.  
"That Charizard is just too strong for any of my current pokemon to beat." Ash said unhappily.  
Brock nodded, "It is a quite powerfull pokemon, maybe you should go home and train up your  
pokemon until they are strong enogth."  
Sadly Ash nodded in agreement, "You are right Brock..."  
  
So with that Ash set off home for Pallet Town, he knew that someday he'd be back here and with  
much more powerful pokemon. That wasn't today however, today he was going home to get stronger  
for next time. Next time, he would win.  
  
Meanwhile Gary and Team Rocket had managed to leave Viridian city by means of Team Rocket's  
hot air balloon.  
Gary wondered if prehaps things might have been very diffrent had only not slept in that  
morning, but then Gary was happy and he doubted that things could have turned out better then  
just now. Things would have just turned out, Alternately.  
  
/=====================================\/===================\/==================================\  
| 14:23 || Alternativity || 10th March 2001 |  
\=====================================/\===================/\==================================/  
  
Dedicated to: Margaret Mink for all the skritches and puppy chow.  
  
Special thanks to:-  
  
Hacker, Khrissie, Britanny, Mattman, Spunkey, Rob and Greg for being neat and real.  
  
Everyone on irc.wtower.com, irc.yiff.org and Furry.org:8898  
  
/=====================================\/===================\/==================================\  
| 14:23 || Alternativity || 10th March 2001 |  
\=====================================/\===================/\==================================/  
| The last words |  
\----------------/  
  
If you have read some of my other pokemon fanfics then you might recognise the start there from  
"Whatif" this is how whatif was originally intended to be, so now here it is in full (?)  
glory.  
  
Yes full (?) it doesn't really seem to end very well there now does it, so the big question  
I know you are already asking is, "Will there be a sequel?" and the honest answer is I don't  
know at this point in time, I would very much like there to be a sequel but we'll see what  
happens.  
  
Oh and if for some bizzare reason you do want to contact me you can do so at the e-mail address  
a the top of the page (webmaster@microharf.cx for those that skipped the legal blurb) and  
i'll be very happy to correspond with you =X)  
  
Runt  



End file.
